Victorian Costuming

Monthly Archives: December 2015

In my last post I wrote about tuning up my spinning wheel. Since then, I have attempted to make it do its thing! I used the wool I was given for Christmas.

At first it didn’t go to well. It kept breaking. After an hour and a half-this is all I accomplished.

This pile of broken tangled bits on the floor was greater than the finished bit on the wheel.

But, then suddenly it started to click and in 20 minutes, I doubled my production.

It is much thicker (and lumpier) than I hoped-especially if I ply it together to a 2 or three ply skein. It would be stronger if I do but it will lose its distinct color changes so I might not do that. There is a style of plying called Navajo (several videos on YouTube explaining how) that might not mess up the variegation as much.

The tricky part that I have to figure out….now I’m getting ahead of myself. I need to concentrate on getting the one ply done before I figure out what I’m going to do next with it! I do need more bobbins though…off to eBay….

I don’t know how many of my readers actually care for a recap but I find them motivating. One tends to forget how much gets made in a year and one wonders where the motivation will come for next year. Seeing it all in one place gives me a feel good moment and a push to strive for next year. So here it is…

Work projects: a hand painted poster.

Accessories:

Added some frills to an already existing bustle.

Added trim to the bottom of this skirt.

Added a buckle to an existing mantle.

Padded cap for a helmet.

chain mail coif

Knitted projects

A cowl that I have since lost. Bummer

Beaded bag

Another beaded bag.

A work bag for my knitting

A costume for a friend.

Fingerless mitts for a friend.

And fingerless mitts for myself.

Full ensembles:

The full ensembles are actually 5 projects in one: the bags which I showed in detail above, the bodices, the skirts, the over-skirts and the hats. So all in all, a productive year!

I think my next year in review will be on the costumed events my tiny group indulged in.

I ran out and bought myself a Christmas gift this weekend. Hey, who knows me and what I like better than me! I saw a spinning wheel at a flea market a few weeks ago. I haven’t stopped thinking about it so after a bit of wheeling and dealing (pun intended) I went home with this…

It is called a Spin-well Spinning Wheel

For a long version of its history I send you this well written blog post. The condensed version is it was made in my part of Canada during the 1930’s to 50’s and was based on Ukrainian wheels. It was known as the Sifton wheel (the town it was made) or the Spin-Well or Well-Made wheels (company names).

Before I try spinning on this, it needs a bit of a clean up.

And I think some of the bolts need some tightening so that it isn’t so wobbly. At least I hope the bolts will help and that I wont need to get some carpenters glue on the other joints….

Some more research was not amiss. I could find information on other wheels and I could figure out what part was comparable and thus how they should work but one part I had trouble figuring out was the tension adjuster. Does it even have one? Low and behold I found this blog that showed it did have one in the back behind the gear thingys and it also showed that the flea market seller didn’t have the wheel “strung” properly and so I will need to get another drive belt. I will also have to learn the correct terminology for this machine. I can’t keep calling the parts “thingys”

The Challenge: Redo: brown, practical accessory and silver screen. Basically, I repeated the pattern that I did for silver screen but I did it in brown. The green pair was given away as a Christmas gift.

Historical Monthly 2016 is up now and I have my plans worked out now. Some I’m more excited about than others but all will be useful at some point so here goes nothing!

January – Procrastination –finish a garment you have been putting off. The mantle I started but got stalled on because it is ugly and I didn’t need it is the project for this. Perhaps some short fingerless gloves, using the left over wool from the long ones I made this year.

February – Tucks & Pleating – make a garment that features tucks and pleating. I need more than one chemise so that is the plan.

March – Protection – make something to protect yourself from weather. One of my pals has found reference and patterns to winter head gear called a Canadian cloud. I may make arm warmers as well.

April – Gender-Bender – make an item for the opposite gender. I’ve been wanting to make a gambeson for my son.

May – Holes – Make a garment that is about holes. Crotchless bloomers definitely have holes and I can use one more pair.

June – Travel – make a garment for travelling, or inspired by travel. I will be traveling to the Dickens’ Festival again and a knitted Tulma would not be amiss.

July – Monochrome – make a garment in black, white, or any shade of grey in between. I’ve been a very unfinished woman walking around with no cap upon my head, begging dirt and lice and cold to take me an my hair to task!

August – Pattern – make something in pattern, the bolder and wilder the better. The paisley I bought at the Dickens’ Festival fits this description for sure!

September – Historicism – Make a historical garment that was itself inspired by the fashions of another historical period. Want to make Victorian leather gloves that hint back to the 1700’s. I haven’t worked with leather in ages so this will be a challenge for me!

October – Heroes – Make a garment inspired by your historical costuming hero. Most of my costuming heroes have made corsets that are functional. My one attempt wasn’t very functional or authentic.

November – Red – Make something in any shade of red. I think a red knitted petticoat would be fun.

December – Special Occasion: make something for a special occasion historically. Long silk gloves were in order for balls and formal dinners. If I am really ambitious, they will be embroidered.